Charities work together in Mexican city to aid the poor and terminally ill

Hogar de los Niños

Quintana Roo, Mexico -- Innovation and entrepreneurship – these
words may not be top of mind when one thinks
of charitable organizations. But these concepts are at the heart
of one organization in a city near Cancun, Mexico.

In Quintana Roo, a
man named Fernando Garcia and some of his friends became
inspired by a group of nuns, the Missionaries of the
Risen Christ.The congregation cares for the needs
of the poor and terminally ill in areas throughout Mexico,
as well as in Haiti (they were among the first
responders after the earthquake) and in Chad, Africa.

At the beginning of the
new millennium, the founder of the sisters, Bertha Lopez, came
up with the idea for a place she wanted to
call the City of Joy (Ciudad Alegría).This
would be a place where several charities could co-exist together
in one location to be of service to those who
needed help the most.

“They are heroes,” says Fernando about the sisters, having

Hogar de la Mujer

witnessed their selfless acts of charity.“They are
the inspiration for the whole thing.They take
care of those that no one else really wants to
take care of.”

Fernando, whose wife Lola is a member of Regnum Christi,
would later become the vice president and co-founder of the
City of Joy, along with men like Jesus Herrera, Jose
Ampudia and Fernando Rodriquez.The Legionaries of Christ
would also become involved, and the Bishop of the Cancun
area, Pedro Pablo, LC, would become its Rector.Many RC members, including women like Lola, now serve as
volunteers in the different City of Joy Homes.

Today the City of Joy
has been in operation for a decade and includes, on
a 12-acre site, 10 homes and centers that serve over
30,000 people each year, with help from hundreds of volunteers
and donors.Thus far, businesses and private citizens
have invested $10,000,000 in the City of Joy.

The charitable groups all operate
autonomously within the City of Joy. The groups include:

Hogar de Cobija y

Hogar de los Ancianos

Pan (The Bread and Blanket Shelter), which supplies food to
the City of Joy homes and local people in need.

Hogar de los Niños, offers daily childcare including nutritious
meals, educational activities and healthcare, for babies and infants of
working mothers, ensuring their overall development.

Hogar de
la Mujer, a shelter for women, serving girls who are
pregnant outside of wedlock or women suffering from abuse.

Hogar de los Ancianos, a home for the elderly.

Mano Amiga School, which offers education to nearly 1,200 children
from low income families.

The Training Center, run by
Santa María Fortaleza, where over 60 people suffering from addiction
to alcohol or drugs receive daily support and guidance

Hogar Cafarnaum, a hospice for the terminally ill.

The Personal Development Center whose facilities are used by
a wide range of organizations for spiritual retreats, training courses
and special events

Acción Liberadora, a program run
by the Order of Mercy to provide help and guidance

Hogar de la Mujer

for prisoners

City of
Joy also offers a multipurpose center which contains a chapel,
an auditorium and serves as a hurricane shelter; a community
legal services where people can access free legal advice; medical
services with a doctor always available on site, and an
emotional support service that works to raise young people’s awareness
regarding respect for life, non-violence, justice and charity.

Fernando and the
other founders started a foundation to support the charitable organizations
within the “City.”

“We build their homes and help them over the first
year or two until they reach financial stability,” said Fernando.“And if they need to expand – we
organize events and fundraising bazaars twice a year, splitting the
funds equally among the charities.We hold concerts,
bull fights, golf tournaments, etc. to do this.”

One of the most inspiring
areas of the City of Joy for Fernando is the
Hospice center.He said he is most impressed
by how the sisters work with the patients near death.

“We are happy
that so many terminally ill people are able to die
in communion with Jesus because they have been taken care
of by these great nuns who help them spiritually as
well as physically,” he said.

He also said that, because of their involvement
with the Mano Amiga school, approximately 100 parents of the
students have gotten married who might not before have done
so, and about 250 kids have made their first communion.

Fernando points out
that, though the City of Joy is a Catholic institution,
it serves people regardless of their race or religious beliefs.“We help people in the most need, with
no distinction for age, ethnicity or religion,” said Fernando.“We are all are sons of God.”

But the City of Joy
stays true to its Catholic roots.All the

A Missionary of the Risen Christ sister with a little resident of the City of Joy

homes emphasize the dignity of human life in all its
stages, from offering young women in crisis pregnancies alternatives to
abortion to helping the elderly meet their needs when 60
to 70 percent of them have no means to pay.

Fernando explains that
City of Joy operates under the principles of “synergy,” “subsidiarity,”
and has been recognized for its “transparency” and “ethical behavior.”
(See website for more details.)

“Volunteers and donors can choose where they
want to help,” he said. “All operations are regularly audited.”

The organization also
works for continuous improvement, he said.

“This year we added a gym for
the elderly to exercise.We built a new
store and chapels.We are creating a home
for immigrants and ex-convicts, so they can find their place
in the community.”

Fernando points out an interesting international coincidence with the founding
of the City of Joy, noting that in this world,
“good balances out the evil.”

“Everything began with the City of Joy in
September of 2001,” he said. “The first stone was laid
down on September 11, at the same time as the
plane crashes happened in the United States.”

Let
us keep the City of Joy in our prayers to
continue to bring good and overcome evil.Those
who would like to support one or more of the
charities within the organization can make contributions with credit or
debit cards or checks (made out to Fundación Ciudad de
la Alegría A.C.) Donations can be made by filling out
a donation form and sending it via FAX to 52
988 898 6224 or via email at info@ciudadalegria.org.To obtain an online form, register at the website by
clicking here.

Bank deposits can be made
to “Fundación Ciudad de la Alegría at A.C.,” via BBVA
Bancomer, Suc. 5764.The account for US dollars
and foreign currencies is Account No. 0132417154 (Swift Code BCMRMXMM).Donations can also be made in kind, for
items including:

Perishable and nonperishable foods.

Personal care and cleansing
products.

Clean clothes in good condition.

Medical equipment
and medicines (within expiration date).

Furniture and domestic supplies
in good condition.

Construction materials.

Please look at the website to get
more information about the specific requirements of each home.